Christie's is hosting one of the most significant auctions of Arab art at its London headquarters next month. But before the sale, some of the pieces from the lot will be on display in Dubai next week, from Monday to Thursday.

Titled Marhala – Highlights from the Dalloul Collection, the auction is momentous not only because it marks the first time that pieces from the esteemed Dalloul Collection are going under the hammer, but also because of the high-profile artists represented in the sale.

The auction is listing 48 works, including pieces by Mahmoud Said, Mohamed Melehi, Etel Adnan, Samia Halaby, Dia Al Azzawi, Inji Aflatoun and Ibrahim El-Salahi.

Founded by late art collectors Ramzi and Saeda El Husseini Dalloul, The Dalloul Collection is regarded as one of the most significant assortments of modern and contemporary Arab art in the world, containing prized pieces from across the Middle East. Their son Ramzi now oversees the collection and the Ramzi and Saeda Dalloul Art Foundation.

Ridha Moumni, deputy chairman of Middle East and North Africa at Christie’s, tells my colleague Razmig Bedirian that the collection is "probably the strongest and most impressive coming to the market in a long, long time". “Almost all the artists we have are superstars," he adds.

Razmig also recently spoke with one of the featured artists, Halaby, whose first retrospective in the Middle East has opened at Sharjah Art Museum

Lasting Impressions: Samia Halaby showcases the pioneering Palestinian artist's explorations of perception, whether through oil, papier-mache or computers, bringing together 180 works from across her career.

The exhibition runs until January 7.